FAIRFAX, Va. – Locked in a 6-6 tie entering the top of the ninth inning with George Mason (3-5), Colin Smith (Jr., Wilmington, Del.) laced a two-out RBI single up the middle that scored the go-ahead run and gave the Navy baseball team (5-2) a one-run lead it wouldn't relinquish in a thrilling victory, 7-6, over the Patriots Wednesday at Spuhler Field.
 
In addition to his go-ahead single in the ninth, Colin Smith totaled a 2-for-4 day at the plate that included a game-tying, three-run home run in the sixth inning to lead the Navy offense. Alex Smith (Jr., Laguna Hills, Calif.) homered for the second-straight game and Zach Stevens (Sr., Lexington, Mass.) added his second RBI triple of the season. 

Rounding out the top performers at the plate for the Mids Wednesday was Logan Keller (So., Longwood, Fla.) who went 2-for-5 for his fourth multi-hit effort in seven games this season.
 
Thomas Russell (Jr., Fairfax, Va.), a Fairfax native, led the way for the Midshipmen on the mound by pitching 3.1 shutout innings in relief without allowing a hit en route to earning his first collegiate victory. Following the stellar effort by Russell, that led to Navy producing the late-inning rally, Nolan Jorgenson (So., Eastvale, Calif.) recorded the final three outs to notch his first collegiate save.
 
"That was a really good college baseball game," said head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. "It was really good to see Thomas Russell, coming back from a major surgery, be able to have that kind of success, really showed me a lot about him. Nolan Jorgenson was outstanding, hardest outs in a ballgame to get are the last three in the ninth inning and he did that really efficiently.
 
"Certainly, Colin Smith was big for us today with a three-run homer and a big, big hit in the ninth inning with two outs to get us ahead. Really good ball game and a good win against a very good team."
 
George Mason jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the home half of the first inning, with three of the first four batters recording hits including RBI double by Carsen Pracht, followed by an RBI single off the bat of Kamron Smith.
 
However, the advantage would quickly be erased by the Midshipmen as Stevens tripled home Keller, prior to Alex Smith launching a two-run shot to give Navy a 3-1 lead in the visitors' half of the second.
 
The one-run lead would hold over the next two innings for the Mids as starting pitcher Trent Topping (Sr., Temecula, Calif.) bounced back from a rough first inning to retire five of the next nine batters he faced, including four strikeouts.
 
"Trent (Topping) did a great job," continued Kostacopoulos. "If we don't get into that third inning, it gets really tough for us in the middle of the week where we are right now. Tough first inning, but a really good outing and he's started to pitch better."
 
In the home half of the fourth, the Patriots took back the lead with two runs on three hits, highlighted by a Brett Ahalt two-run home run that gave George Mason a 4-3 advantage. One inning later the GMU lead would be extended to three runs on back-to-back RBI hits that chased reliever Zach Powers (So., Centreville, Md.) from the game in favor of Russell who worked out of the frame without further damage.
 
In the top of the sixth, Alex Smith was hit by a pitch to leadoff the inning before Kyle Rausch (Jr., Middle Island, N.Y.) walked to put runners on first and second with nobody out for the Mids. The next batter, Colin Smith, launched his second home run of the season, a three-run, game-tying shot over the left-center field wall that tied the game at 6-6.
 
With the contest tied, Russell was tasked with holding the score at six all and did just that over the next three innings, retiring nine of the next 10 batters faced in what was a career-long outing for the junior.
 
On the back of the outstanding effort on the mound by Russell, the game remained tied heading into the top of the ninth. With one out in the frame, Stevens was hit by a pitch before Alex Smith walked to put the go-ahead run on second. Following a lineout to the shortstop for the second out of the inning, Colin Smith lined the first pitch he saw up the middle, bringing home Stevens to put the Mids up 7-6.
 
With the one-run lead in hand, Jorgenson came on to record the final three outs of the contest, including a pair of strikeouts, to secure the 7-6, comeback victory for Navy over the Patriots.
 
Ahalt paced the George Mason offense with a team-leading two RBI, while the trio of Kamron Smith, South Trimble and Tyler Cotton added two hits apiece. Christian Mracna took the loss on the mound after allowing the go-ahead single in the ninth to Colin Smith.
 
UP NEXT
Navy will have a quick turnaround following its win over George Mason as it is set to begin a three-game series against Central Connecticut State Friday. First pitch of the series opener is slated for 4:30 p.m. followed by a pair of 1 p.m. starts on Saturday and Sunday.